Finding Family ─ My Search for Roots and the Secrets in My DNA

Finding Family: My Search for Roots and the Secrets in My DNA was a Global Ebook Awards gold medal winner and a Next Generation Indie Book Awards Finalist. It is Richard Hill's true and intensely personal story of how he pieced together the long-kept secret of his own origins. This highly suspenseful book is a page-turning saga of personal detective work that will appeal to anyone who loves a good mystery.But this isn't fiction. It's an engrossing account of an adoptee trying to reclaim the biological family denied him by sealed birth records. This fascinating quest, including the author's landmark use of DNA testing, takes readers on an exhilarating roller-coaster ride and concludes with a twist that rivals anything Hollywood has to offer.Easy to read and hard to put down, Finding Family is the first book to chronicle the paradigm-shifting application of genetic genealogy to adoption search. Whether you're searching for your own roots or just craving a darn good read, Finding Family is a book you will likely devour in one sitting...and wholeheartedly recommend to others. In the vein of a classic mystery, Hill gathers the seemingly scant evidence surrounding the circumstances of his birth. At his adoptive father's deathbed, he discovers shocking information that leads him to methodically chase down leads, which sometimes yield poignant glimpses of his birth parents, sometimes garner resistance, and as frequently flat-line in disappointment.As his resolve shores up, the author also avails of new friends, genealogists, the Internet, and the latest DNA tests in the new field of genetic genealogy. As he closes in on the truth of his ancestry, he is able to construct a living, breathing portrait of the young woman who was faced with the decision to forsake her rights to her child, and ultimately the man whose identity had remained hidden for decades.During the course of Hill's mission, Finding Family offers guidance, insight, and motivation for anyone engaged in a similar mission, from ways to obtain information to the many networks that can facilitate adoption searches. Best of all, the author demystifies how DNA and genetic genealogy can produce irrefutable results in determining genetic connections. In an intimate, personal voice, Hill sheds light on this new science that is helping adoptees bypass sealed records and similar stumbling blocks. It is certain to inspire those who are in search of their birth parents as well as others who are uncertain of their biological ancestry. Richard Hill's groundbreaking use of DNA testing in adoption search was featured on the front page of The Wall Street Journal. His DNA Testing Adviser web site makes genetic genealogy understandable to all

At 18 years old, Richard Hill accidentally discovered a deeply hidden family secret: he was adopted. Assuming he would never know any details, he was startled to learn many years later that he had a brother out there somewhere. What then began as a search for his mother and brother turned into a decades long search for the identity of his biological father.Thwarted for years by sealed records, lies, and cover-ups, Richard eventually turned to a series of new DNA tests designed for genealogists. His groundbreaking use of this new science to uncover the name of his birth father was reported on the front page of The Wall Street Journal. Subsequently, newer DNA tests would lead him to an even more startling conclusion.Richard has made it his personal mission to share what he learns with other adoptees and genealogists. He does that through his web site, DNA-Testing-Adviser.com, social media, presentations, and now his books.His memoir, "Finding Family: My Search for Roots and the Secrets in My DNA," was named a Finalist in the Next Generation Indie Book Awards. The electronic version was awarded a gold medal in the Global Ebook Awards.His "Guide to DNA Testing" eBook provides an easy-to-understand overview of genetic genealogy. Readers quickly learn how to identify ancestors, confirm relationships, and measure their ethnic ancestry -